Structural Engineer 1

ZAP Engineering and Construction Services, Inc.

Structural Engineer 1

Sector | Industrial | Engineering | Lakewood, CO • Houston, TX • Bethlehem, PA

WHO WE ARE

ZAP is a full-service engineering, design, and construction management firm servicing the oil & gas, heavy industrial, mining, and manufacturing sectors. We execute projects across North America, spanning from California to Florida and Canada down to Mexico. Our projects range in size from simple engineering studies or maintenance repairs to full-scale design of extensive facilities. ZAP operates at a fast pace while providing a team-centric approach to our work.

We move fast and we work as a team. Engineers here sit near the people they work with, walk over to ask questions, and get out to the field to see what they designed actually get built.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is an entry-level structural engineering role. You will design real structures on real projects from your first weeks - equipment foundations, pipe racks, platforms, steel structures for heavy industrial facilities - with a senior engineer close by to check your calculations and teach you the standards behind them.

We are not looking for someone who already knows how to do this job. We are looking for someone who genuinely wants to learn it, is comfortable saying "I don't know yet," and will actively chase down the answer.

Reports To

Civil / Structural Director

Location

Lakewood, CO • Houston, TX • Bethlehem, PA (in-office; tell us your preference)

Travel

Yes, up to 20%

Schedule

Full-time, Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

FLSA

Exempt

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Design structures

• Perform structural calculations for project-specific tasks - typically cast-in-place concrete foundations and structural steel for heavy industrial and manufacturing facilities.
• Design equipment foundations, equipment towers, building structures, pipe racks, and platforms.
• Write structural analysis reports.
• Review vendor drawings.

Build the construction documents

• Coordinate with structural AutoCAD designers to create facility 3D models and construction drawings.
• Review drawings and models for accuracy.
• Create contractor scopes of work.
• Write specifications - pre-engineered metal buildings, geotechnical, and others.

Support construction

• Create contractor bid packages and bills of material.
• Review shop drawings.
• Answer RFIs from contractors.

Coordinate across disciplines

• Work with lead structural engineers, structural designers, and the other discipline engineers so the design is cohesive and actually meets project requirements.

Grow

• Develops industry knowledge and skillset through completion of technical deliverables associated with projects.
• Reviews calculations, design guidelines, and industry standards for understanding and comprehension.
• Increases understanding while picking up redlines and QA/QC comments on deliverables, and does not repeat the same correction across successive revisions.
• Participates in field visits, site walkdowns, and construction support opportunities as they arise, to connect design decisions to installed conditions.
• Shares what is learned back to the department rather than holding it individually.

Qualifications

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering.
• Previous experience is not required.
• Basic written and verbal communication skills sufficient to coordinate across disciplines and document technical information.
• Basic proficiency in the technology and software required to execute daily tasks.
• Valid driver's license and the ability to maintain insurability under the Company's policy.
• Willingness to work in-office at Lakewood, Houston, or Bethlehem. This is a team-based, in-person role - it is not remote.

Preferred

• FE exam passed or EIT certification, with intent to pursue PE licensure.
• Any exposure to RISA, STAAD, SAP2000, or another structural analysis package.
• Familiarity with ASCE 7, ACI 318, or AISC 360.
• Internship, co-op, or capstone experience in heavy industrial, mining, or manufacturing facility design.
• Actual job experience where you were accountable to others.
• Any hands-on plant, field, or construction exposure - even a summer of it.

COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESSMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS

01 Safety-First Mindset - Treats safety as personal, not procedural. Understands that a foundation design and a load combination protect real people, and behaves accordingly in the office and on site.

02 Structural Engineering Fundamentals - Solid command of statics, load paths, load combinations, and concrete and steel design - and knows which code governs and why, not just the number.

03 Structural Analysis & Design Tools - Any exposure to RISA, STAAD, or SAP2000, and can explain what the model is checking. Builds a clean, checkable calculation set and can read a structural drawing.

04 Genuine Interest - Excited about this work and about what ZAP does specifically. Wants to be on a team for real, and wants to go to the field to see and learn.

05 Humility & Coachability - Selfless and focused on the team's success. Comfortable saying "I don't know" out loud, asks meaningful questions instead of guessing quietly, and takes correction as information.

06 Teamwork & Empathy - Positive, direct interpersonal communication. Leaves the chair and walks over. Honest with the team - including about bad news - and trustworthy with responsibility.

07 Ownership & Accountability - Owns their tasks, deliverables, and timelines, and flags a slip early. Accurate and thorough without disappearing into perfectionism. No excuses, no blaming others.

08 Growth Mindset - Competitive and purpose-driven. A self-motivated independent learner who is hungry to get better, takes challenges head on, and shares what they learn freely.

WHY ZAP

Real work, early - You will not spend a year formatting other people's drawings. You will produce deliverables that go out the door, with a senior engineer checking them.

Three offices, one team - Lakewood, Houston, and Bethlehem work the same projects. Tell us where you want to be and we will make it work.

Field access - Up to 20% travel means you get to see the facilities you design. Engineers who ask to go usually get to go.

A defined track - Structural Engineer 1 through 4 each carry defined experience, education, and responsibility requirements. Your supervisor will walk you through exactly what the next level takes.